Apparatus for feeding folded matter into printing machines



March 17, 1925.

1,530,209 J. SCHEU NER APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FOLDED MATTER INTO PRINTING MACHINES Filed Apl 16, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1" March 17, 1925.

J. scHEuNER APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FOLDED MATTER INTO PRINTING MACHINES FiledAp'il 16, 1923 2-sheetsshee Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOHANN SCHEUNER, OF KONOLFINGEN, SWITZERLAND.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FOLDED MATTER INTO PRINTING NIAGHINES.`

Applicatiqn led April 16, 1923.v Serial No. 632,184.

To all 'whom t may concern.:

Beit known that I, JOHANN SCHEUNER, a citizen of the Swiss Confederation, and .residing at Konolingen, Switzerland, have iiivented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Feeding Folded Matter into Printing Machines.

My invention relates to apparatus for feeding folded matter into printing machines. i

Apparatus used heretofore for feeding unfolded paper into printing machines cannot be used for feeding folded paper, such as folded newspapers, pamphlets and the like, into printing machines having continuous type, for example addressing machines having lines of type fed intermittently from a'type-.setting machine, because folded papers when laid in a pile are higher at the fold side than at the open side, so that a pile of folded papers is uneven. Also, the thickness of a folded paper varies 'according to the number of times it is folded. Further, folded papers are looser or spaced further apart than when unfolded and their looseness or spacing varies with the thickness o-f the paper.

This invention has for its obJect to provide an apparatus for feeding folded mat- -ter in printing machines, which apparatus shall take account of all these properties of folded paper without requiring adjustment of o-ne of its constituent members, and which shall be serviceable.

This end I attain, in one form of apparatus according to the invention, by providing points that are movable in their longitudinal direction and transversely thereof,

Y. which points when driven into a piece of folded material remove the same from a pile-holder in order that it may then be conveyed by transport members that cooperate l with the points. The points are drivenae. g., snapped, into the folded piece o-f material to be fed into the machine, so that they penetrate a greater or smaller number of layh ers according to the thickness of the folded paper, and consequently the points seize the folded papers always equally firmly no matter how thick and stout they maybe, and of whatever structure the paper is, whether supple or bulky, smooth or rough.

The points aforesaid are mounted on leversthat of the points above the preferably extend transversely same, which levers chine,

are i'ecipiocated endwise transversely ofthe longitudinal direction of a plate o-r tnack caiiying a pile ofthe folded pieces, and are controlled by a controllable guide by which the point-carrying levers can be moved rectiliiiearly for stopping their feed motion, or ina circle for the purpose of feeding, the levers being snapped under the action ofa spring against the piece of paper to be fed, for the purpose of driving the said points into the latter. I

The plate or track for carrying the pile of folded pieces is conveniently laid slantwise 1n relation to the point-carrying levers whichmove up and down, so that folded pieces placed upright on the track will automatically slide towards the said levers and successively pass within reach of the same. The s aid' track may be arranged above a table with one end connected to it, and the pile-holderinay be formed by a stop that tapers upwards atits upper end which is directed towards the track, by which stop a folded piece that is'lifted over it by the point-carrying levers is brought, when falling, into a slantingposition in relation to the table. A

The invention consists in the construction. arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and more specifically pointed out in the claims.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated byway of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus as applied tol an addressing nia- Figure 2 is a plan of the same,

igure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line III-,III in Figure 1, and Figures 4 and 5 are details drawn to a arger scale.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

A table 1 supported by feet, not shown, as at o-ne end two brackets 2 which support above the table a pla-te 3 mounted 'to swing about horizontal pivots 4 at its end adjacent the table. This vplate is adjustable into various slaiiting positions by means of toothed racks 5 provided on it and long pawls 6 pivoted t0 the brackets 2, and serves to support la pile of folded material 7, e. g., folded paper, -placed edgewise nearly upright on it as shown in Fig. 1. In order that the paper shall automatically slide downwards, i. e., towards the lower end .of the plate -3 there is placed, at the back of the pile a rest 8 that t sprin the holder is pressed against the front folde paper of the pile 7.

This front paper can be pulled upwards by two levers 13 which are provided at utheir lower ends each with a point 14, and are moved up and down.- These vlevers 13 are double ended and are fulcrumed each on an arm 16 secured to a horizontal rock shaft 15.

A spring 17 engaging the upper end of ,eachl lever 13 tends to hold the same in the position shown in full lines in Figure 1, in which the lower ends contact with the front piece of paper ofthe pile 7.

The points 14 are located transversely of the longitudinal axis ofthe axle 18 of the levers 13, and in order that these points shall be held out of contact with the front piece of paper should any disturbances occur in the operation of the addressing machine to whichl the paper is fed and whenever the levers 13 move downwards during the operation of the machine, 'each lever 13 is provided With an adjustable guiding device which will now be described.

The two levers 13 are provided each with an arm 19 having at its free end a laterally directed pin 20. These pins extend each into a box 21 constituting a cam having in its upper port-ion a wall 22 rising in a direc- -box 4a guide 24 havin tion away from the corresponding lever 13, and having connected to that portion anextension 23 directed vertically upwards. On the onel end wall there is arran ed inside the a straight face for guiding the pin 20 in line'with the wall 23, a passa-Ue 25 being left for the pin between the top ofD the guide 24 and the wall 22, and another passage 26 being provided below. The passage 25 is normally closed by means of a spring-pressed tongue 27 that bears against the upper end of thewall 22. This tongue allows, the pin 20 to pass in only one direction, namely when moving upwards along the wall 22. When moving downwards the pin is prevented'by the tongue 27 from entering into the passage 25 on reaching the lowerjend ofthe wall 23. The passage 26 is controlled bya switch 29 slidab e to and fro on the bottom of the box, and having on -the one side a slanting, and on the other side,

i, e., that nearer the corresponding lever 13, a vertical face. A p in 30 extending to one side of the switch29 extends through a horizontal slot 31 ofthe end wall of the box and is pulled by a spring 32 towards the corresponding lever 13. This spring causes the switchv 29 to close the passage 26, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4. When the switch is in this position and the lever 13 moves downwards, the pin 20 cannot enter the passage 26, so that the lever cannot rock towards the front piece of paper in the pile 7 and therefore its point 14 cannot enter the same, as indicated by the dash-and-dot lines in Figure 1,

If, on the contrary, the switch 29 is pressed back into the position shown in full lines in Figure 4 by a finger 33 acting on the pin 30 against the action of the spring 32, then the passage 26 is open and the pin 20 can pass out of the vertical guide channel 34 below the guide 24 and through into the broader upwardly directed channel 35. As soon as the pins slide down oil' the guide 24, the springs 17 operate and rock the levers 13 towards the rear, whereby the points 14 snap into the front piece ofpaper in the pile 7. Because of their rapid movement', the pins 14 enter through one or more layers of paper depending on its thickness. When the levers 13 are moved upwards iinmediately afterwards by the arms 16, the front piece of paper into which the points 14 have entered is pulled upwards until the4 levers 413 begin to swing forwards which occurs when the pins 20 abut from below against the slanting walls 22. During the further upward movement of the'levers'13 the pins slide up along the 'walls 22, press the tongues 27 back and pass into the channel 34. During the subsequent downward movement of the levers the tongues 27 guide the pins 20 into the lower part of the channel 34.

Consequently, during this downward movement of the levers 13, tlie pins 14 remain out of contact with the lifted piece of paper and the next one in the pile.

"Owing to the vertical arrangement of the pieces of paper on the plate 3, there is no danger of the piece next but one to the front being moved by friction by the front piece when this is lifted. For successively lifting the pieces of paper, the pins 14 thus move along a somewhat circular path and make in succession a movement in their longitudinal direction (towards the rear), then a. movement transverse thereof (upwards),

then another movement. in the longitudinal direction (but in the opposite direction) and finally another movement in the trans verse direction (downwards).

In order to prevent the lifted piece of paper from sliding down immediately after the points 14 are withdrawn from it, there is mounted on alever 36, which can rock about a pivot 37, a roller 38 which bearing against the lifted piece of paper', presses it against the upper edge of the front end of the pile- 7 until the lever 36 is lifted, by means of a loop 39 pivoted to its free end, by,a lever 41 that has a pin 40 extending laterally into the loop. The lever 41 is fast on the shaft 15 which is oscillated by a lever 42 and a link 43 by a lever (not shown) under the table 1.

. Above the level of the table top 1 are situated the slanting upper' lengths of two endless conveyer belts 44 arranged approximately parallel with the longitudinal direction of the plate 3. These belts run on pulleys 45, 46, 47 and serve to convey the paper that is released by the roller 38, and slides downwards, into the reach of feed hooks 48 that reciprocate parallel with the belts 44. These hooks are fast on a shaft 49 journaled in two levers or pendulums 51 swinging about a shaft 50. The levers 51 are adjustably mounted on the shaft which is oscillated by a lever 52 and a link 54- adjustably connected with the latter by an adjustable slide 53 having a set screw, which link 54 can be actuated in any convenient maner, for example by a lever, not shown, under the table 1.

The shafts 15 and 5() as well as a cross bar 57 that carries the boxes or cams 21 by means of arms 55 and adjustable forks 56 are journaled at their ends in-two standards 58 provided on the table 1. By shifting the slide 53 and thereby changing the point of connection of the link 54 with the lever 52 the amount of oscillation of the levers 51 can be varied and adapted to the breadth of the piece ot' paper to be fed.v

Fast on the shaft 49 is an arm 59 that bears by means of an anti-friction roller 60 on the free end of a rod 6l which at the other end, is pivoted to rock on the guide 62 of the printing plate 63 of the addressing machine and bears on a cam 64. This cam is fast on the shaft- 65 carrying a lever 66 which is connected by a lilik 67 with a lever 69 mounted to rock about a shaft 68. The lever 69 is connected by a connecting rod 70 with a lever 72 that is under the action of a spring 71 tending to pull it tothe rear or to the right in Figure` 1. The shaft 73 of lever 72 carries the abovetsaid fingers 33 that control the above said switches 29.

An arm 74 on the lever 69 carries at its free end an anti-friction roller 75, on which bears the free end of an arm 77 rotatable about a horizontal axle 76. This axle also carries an arm.78 which extends under a bowed member 79 for the pieces of paper on which the address has been printed.

If the lever 69 is rocked out of the posi-- iion indicated in full lines lin Figure 1 into that shown in dotted lines, the cam 64 is raised, the lever 72 pulled forwards and the arms 77 and 78 are lifted. The cam 64 also lifts the rod 6l which moves the arm 59 and the feed hooks 48 upwards, so that the latter can no longer engage and feed a piece of paper lying on the table and on the belts 44. The fingers 33 are moved by the lever'72 out of reach of the pins 30, so that the springs 32 can shift the switches 29 into their closing position `in which the pins 20 are prevented by them from passing out of the channel 34, and consequently the levers 13 cannot move into the position for seizing the bottom piece of the pile 7. The lifting of the arms 77 and 78 causes the member 79 to slide to and fro over the piece of paper in the position for printing, without engaging it. Consequently, in the position of the lever 69 indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1 no pieces are fed, neither on the table nor from the pile 7. This condition of the feeding apparatus ,is automatically brought about when the addressing machine has no line of type ready for printing. In the addressing machine the lines of type 8O are arranged closetogether in rows in galleys or drawers 81 open below (Figure 3). In the pauses between print-ing operations, these drawers are intermittently shifted a distance equal to the thickness of one, two or three lines of type by means of a feed mechanism that does not constitute part of this invention and is therefore not illustrated. Between the lines of type of two successive drawers there is a space 82 equal in size to the thickness of three lines of type. If this space 82 registers with an opening 83 in the table, at the printing place, the piece lying over it will not be printed. But in yorder that this piece shall not be conveyed away imprinted, the operation of the conveyer device is stopped b v the device next to be described with reference to Figures 1 and 3.

Below two beams 84 constituting the track of the drawers 81 is arranged atwo-armed feeling lever 85 an upwardly directed tooth 86 which under the influence of a spring 87 is held in contact with the bottom of that line of type which arrives over it below the aperture 83 at the next feed` movement of the type. The end of the feeler lever 85 remote from the spring 87 is connected by a connecting rod 88 with a lever 90 that is fulcrumed at 89 and bears upwards against the periphery of a disk 92 from which a quadrant has been removed to'form a recess as shown at 91. In the vertical plane parallel with and containing the axis of the shaft 93 of the disc 92 the lever 90 is cranked down,- wards and provided on its arm 94 with a laterally projecting pin 95. Within reach of the latter is the hook of a catch 96 suspended at 98 ona draw rod 97. This rod is slidingly guided at its lower end by a pin 100 projecting intoa longitudinal slot 99, and is pi-voted at its upper end to a lever 101 fast on the shaft 68 of the lever 69. The catch 96 has an arm 102 connected by'a spring 103 with the draw rod 97. This spring 103 holds the catch 96 in engagement with the pin 95 and a pin 104. This pin 104 is mounted on a cam 105 fast on the shaft 93 between the catch 96 and thedisc 92. p

If a line of type 80 is situated over the tooth 86, the lever 85 cannot move the -lever 90, 94 upwards when the recess 91 in the disc 92 iv-otating in the direction of its arrow arrives at the heel of the lever 90, 94. Consequently the pin 95 cannot engage with the catch 96, the draw rod 97 remains in its upper end position, the lever 69 remains in its vertical position, the lfingers 33 hold the switches 29 inthe position shown in full lines in Figure 4, the cam 64, the rod 61, the feed hooks 48 as well as the roller 85, the arms 77 and 78 and the member 79 remain in their lower positions, in which the pieces of paper are conveyed to the printing place and from there to a place where they are collected. If, however, there is no line of type above the tooth 86, for example between two successive galleys 81,- the lever 85 can move the lever 90, 94 upwards when the recess 91 arrives at the heel of the said lever 90. The pin 95 engages with the catch 96 and pulls it and the rod 97 downwards, when the lever 90, 94 is forced down by the rear end of the recess 91 of the disc 92. The lever 69 is thereby moved out of its vertical position v shown in full lines in Figure 1 into the slanting position indicated b'y dotted lines, Iand thereby moves the switches 29 into the closed position and the feed members 48 and 79 upwards, so that the feed of the lay-on apparatus is stopped. As soon as the pin 104 strikes the catch 96, the latter is pushed away from the pin 95. The spring 71 which is stronger than the springs 32 acting together causes the levers 72 and 69 with the fingers 33 and switches 29'connected therewith, as well as the feed hooks 48, member 7 9 and draw rod 97 with the catch 96 to return to their normal working positions.

In order that the piece. of paper elying partly on the table 1 and its ribs 1 shall remain stationary at a point suitable for its seizure by the' feed hooks 48'and in order that there may be between that piece and the one at the printing place a space enabling the latter to be seized by the member 79, two wire b'ows or yokes 106 acting as stops are arranged each on one of two levers 107 which rock about an axle 108 common to them both. The one lever 107 bears on the periphery of a disc 105y and is moved up and down by it.

Mounted on rearwardly directed 'arms 110 of the boxes 21 are rollers 109 which prey vent the lifted piece of paper from moving forward with the points 14 when the levers 13 carrying the. latter swing away from the pile 7. Obviously, adjustable sheet-metal side pieces, 'not shown, are preferably provided for guiding the pieces of paper at the two sides.

The operation of the described laying-on apparatus used in connection with the addressing machine referred to is, briefly, as follows The front piece of a pile 7 -of papers standing on edge on the plate 3, which piece bears against the stop 9 and the roller 38, is lifted over the stop 9 by the pointcarrying levers 13 during their upward movement. held against the pile 7 by the roller 38 until the lever 36 with said roller is moved away by means of the pin 40 on the lever 41 and the rod 39. The said piece of paper thus released drops down, and guided forward by the stop 9, arrives in a slanting position on the forwardly moving upper lengths of Athe belts 44. These convey the piece to the stops 106 in the form of yokes that project up` above the level of the table 1 and its ribs 1. The feed hooks 48 which have The lifted piece of paper 1s reached their end position (behind the piece of paper lying on the table), when the point-carrying levers 13 begin to move ownwards, push thepiece of paper to the printing place, i. e., above the aperture, over the stop 106 which in the meantime have moved down under the table 1. During the next part of the cycle of operations the piece of p-aper vis pushed away by the member 79 from the printing place. Thus one piece is fed by the hooks 48 to the printing place and at the same time the previo-us piece is conveyed away by the member 79. This operation is repeated as often as lines of type are ready in position for printing. But as soon as there is no such line of type 80 abov'e the tooth 86 of the lever 85, the operation of the feeding apparatus is stopped as described above because the parts 13, 14, 48 and 79 are kept the next piece of paper. lasts as long as there is no the tooth 86 on the lever 85, but as soon as the next line arrives at this place the apparatus automatically begins to feed again. It will therefore be seen that there is no need for the operation of the apparatus to be stopped and restarted when printing stops, whereby a considerable amount of time and power is saved. Preferably the speed of the apparatus is so selected that the duration of one swing of the arms or pendulums 51 which carry the feed hooks 48 and the member 79 atleast approximately synchronizes with the oscillation of the arms 13. In this manner it is possible to operate the apparatus without excessive shaking and with a minimum expenditure ,of power.

This condition out of reach of' line of type above I claim:

1. In a device for feeding folded matter to printing apparatus, the combination with a support for supporting a pile of folded matter edgewise, of movable arms carrying 'points adapted to be driven into the front the Vprinting apparatus for controlling the operation of the printing and conveying means. l

2. In a device for feeding folded matter to printing apparatus, the combination with a support for supporting a pile of folded matter edgewise, of two levers each carrying a point disposed at right angles thereto adapted to be driven into the front piece in the pile, means for reciprocating said levers endwise and also in a direction at right angles thereto, means for preventing the reciprocation in the transverse direction whilst permitting it inthe direction at right angles thereto, and a spring tending to rock said levers in the direction to drive sad points into a piece of matter'in the e. p 3. A device as specified in claim 1, comprising also a spring-controlled stop at the lower end of the said plate adapted to yieldingly engage the lower portion of the front piece of the edgewise supported pile.

4. In a device vfor feeding folded matter to printing apparatus, the combination of a table, a eonveyer member arranged relativethereto so as to convey folded matter along the said table, a plate slanting downwards toward the said table, and adapted to support a pile of folded matter edgewise, an upwardly tapered yielding stop at the lower end of said plate for coacting with and ai'- resting the bottom portion of the front piece of said pile, means comprising points directed toward the said pile, and adapted to be driven into the front piece thereof, means adapted to move said points in their longitudinal direction into the front piece and then move said points upwards and in a direction at right angles thereto, away from the pile, for separating the engaged front piece of the pile, and lifting it over said stop and finally allowing the said piece to drop onto the said conveyer member, and means actuated by the said printing apparatus for controlling the movement of the said points. p

5. In a device for feeding folded matter to printing apparatus, the combination with a slanted plate adapted to support a pile of folded matter edgewise, of two levers each carryingapoint directed at right angles thereto so as to be driven into the front piece of the said pile, means for reciprocating said levers endwise and in a direction at Vright angles thereto, an upwardly directed disengaging lever mounted to rock between the pointcariying levers, a roller carried by said disengaging lever ateits end nearest said plate means operatively connected with'the pointcarrying levers for rocking the roller-carrying lever upwards away from said plate before the point-carrying levers arrive in their upper end position, and means operated by the said printing apparatus for controlling tlie operation of said levers.

6. In a device for feeding folded matter to printing apparatus, the combination of a table, two endless belts, one lat each side thereof, having their upper lengths located slanting downwards from the rear end of the table towards the front above the level thereof, a support adapted to supporta pile of folded matter edgewise at the rear end of the table and slanting downwards towards the same, two vertical levers each carrying a ,point directed at right angles thereto and adapted to be driven into the front piece of the pile, means for reciprocating said levers endwise and in a direction at right angles thereto, an upwardly directed disengagingv lever mounted to rock vertically between the said point-carrying levers, a roller carried by said disengaging lever at its end nearest said support, and means operatively connected with the said point-carrying levers for rocking the said roller-carrying lever upwards away from said support and thereby releasing a lifted piece of folded matter and allowing the saine to drop on to said belts prior to the said point-carrying levers arriving iii their upper end position.

7. In a device for feeding folded matter to printing apparatus, the combination with a table having a printing place, of a support adapted to support a pile of folded matter edgewise at one end of the said table, conveyer belts arranged alongside the table from the support end thereof toward the printing apparatus, pivoted levers carrying points, means for reciprocating the same both vertically and horizontally to drive the points into the front piece of the folded matter thereby separating the folded matter piece by piece from said pile and delivering the yafter another from said belts to said printing place, and means operatively connected with said rod for successively removing the pieces from the printing place, and means connected to said pusher member,

'operated by the said printing apparatus for veyer belts arranged alongside the said table from the support end towards the printing aperture, means comprising adjustable cams and point-carrying levers controlled by the latter, said levers being adapted to be reciprocated vertically and horizontally for removing folded matter by the said points piece by piece from said pile and delivering the same to said belts, a pendulum arranged to swing in the direction of the length of said table, a pusher member operatively connected with said pendulum for pushing one piece of folded matter after another from said belts to said aperture, a bowed member operatively connected to said pendulum for successively removing the pieces from the printing place, a control lever operatively said bowed member and said cams, a'feeler lever arranged to coact with a line of type at said aperture, and mechanism controlled by said feeler lever and operatively connected with said control lever for shifting the latter, when said aperture is not occupied by a line of type and thereby arrestin the feed of pieces of folded matter to said belts.

9. In a device for feeding folded matter to printing apparatus, the combination with a table having a printing aperture, of a plate adapted to support a pile of folded matter edgewise at one end of the table, conveyer belts arranged parallel with the table from the plate end towards the printing place, means comprising point-carrying levers reoiprocated vertically and horizontally for removing folded matter piece by vpiece from the pile and delivering the same to said belts, feeding means for feeding one piece offolded matter after another from said belts to said aperture, means operatively connected with the latter means for successively re-` moving the pieces from the printing aperture, and stops movable vertically from under to over the level of the table and reversely located between said feeding means and said aperture and adapted to be moved downwards below the level of the table,

whilst a piece of folded matter is being fed to said aperture.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHANN SCHEUNER. Witnesses:

A. BAILLEUX, R. HEINGARTNER. 

